Transparency News, 9/6/2022
Tuesday
September 6, 2022
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state & local news stories
When the Richmond City Council returns from its August recess Tuesday, the members will meet privately to discuss police protocols after the city’s police chief earlier this summer claimed that authorities had prevented a mass shooting without any conclusive evidence of such a plot. City officials have yet to confirm whether Police Chief Gerald Smith will attend the meeting, but some council members have said they still have questions about the police investigation and what led the chief to announce that Dogwood Dell had been the target of a planned mass shooting on Independence Day. The agenda says the topic is to be discussed in private under a provision of the state’s open government meeting law that says public legislative bodies can meet privately for discussions of “plans to protect public safety as it relates to terrorist activity” and briefings by legal counsel, police or emergency personnel about actions taken in response to potential threats. In a statement through a spokesperson for the City Council, President Cynthia Newbille said the body will “not be discussing Dogwood Dell” and that it would “only include Police Department briefing matters specific to its operational plans in protecting public safety.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Floyd County Board of Supervisors Chairman Joe Turman said at last week’s meeting he expects the public in attendance to show common courtesy and “remember the Golden Rule.” Turman, of Burks Fork, said that includes not shouting over one another and talking when others are speaking to the Board. The guidelines were laid out in response to a previous question the Chairman received during public comments. At the end of the public comment period on Aug. 13, Wade Woolson of Check said members of the public followed the Chairman’s expectation of respect, while Vice-Chair Jerry Boothe and Supervisor Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch “continue to stare down at whatever it is they’re working on.”
Floyd Press
Comments by residents over the past several months have led to concerns among a few Montgomery County School Board members about the spread of false information. Board Chairwoman Sue Kass, who gained some national attention earlier this year for a verbal clash with a speaker, brought up that matter this week during a joint meeting with the county’s Board of Supervisors that was convened to go over a number of district-related topics. Kass, who pushed for the agenda item, urged supervisors to reach out to district officials or the school board to learn about or get clarity on hot-button issues. Among the topics she listed were issues concerning transgender students, the controversial critical race theory debate and efforts to pursue collective bargaining. Despite Kass’ comments on the school issues, several county supervisors raised concerns about her request appearing as an attempt to stifle the First Amendment rights of local residents. “That’s called freedom of speech,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sherri Blevins, a Republican whose response drew applause from many of those in attendance during this week’s joint meeting.
The Roanoke Times
editorials & columns
In the latest snub to student journalists’ First Amendment rights, Northwest School District officials in Grand Island, Nebraska, havenot only eliminated the high school newspaper, but also cut the journalism program in its entirety. This is an unreasonable — and unconstitutional — attack on press freedom and we, the editors of Lee Enterprises’ Nebraska daily newspapers, strongly encourage district officials to reconsider their decision.
Lincoln Journal Star
